At Home Bootcamp for Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Hey friends! It’s almost 2015, and you know what that means — we all want to kick ourselves into high gear and finally make good on all those goals we have – especially our fitness goals. Right? I know fitness is always at the top of my list every January and it’s no different this year (especially after making and consuming holiday treats for pretty much all of November and December). ;)

The thing is — if you’re feeling stressed, anxious or depressed (hello, massive coffee and sugar consumption!!!) it can be extremely difficult to get motivated to workout.

If there’s one thing I know — support, guidance and accountability are the magic formula for sticking to a workout plan when you’re unmotivated.

I personally swear by bootcamp-type workouts when I really need a good kick in the ass (if you follow me on instagram you know how much I love Barry’s Bootcamp). But the truth is, we don’t always have the time to get to group classes (especially if you travel a lot like I do) and shelling out the big bucks to hire a personal trainer just isn’t on everyone’s agenda.

That’s why when I first heard about Amy Clover’s Strong Inside Out Bootcamp, I knew it was going to help SO many people (and it is). If you don’t know Amy, you’re gonna want to get to know her ASAP. She’s one of my favorite people, and the work she’s doing is incredibly important.

Why is Strong Inside Out Bootcamp so different/awesome? Because you do the workouts AT HOME, but with tons of support — for your fitness and your mindset.

The HIIT workouts (high intensity interval training — think pushups, burpees and squats) are short but super effective. The first time I did the workout, it took less than 15 mins but I was sweating, out of breath and sore the next day!!! It was really fun.

The best part? It’s all targeted to your specific needs. Depressed? Anxious? Stressed? General lack of motivation? Beginner? Advanced? There’s something for everyone here as far as the workouts go — coupled with positive mindset challenges specific to your struggles. If you’re in need of fitness and mindset support this year (seriously, who isnt!?!?)…check out the details and join.

Something I struggle with sometimes is CONSISTENCY in fitness routines — so I’ve been doing the workouts and getting on the coaching calls with Amy and it’s so incredibly helpful. After our first call, I realized how little I actually allow myself to be “coached” by anyone — but she is so amazing and understanding about whatever I’m going through if I’m having an “off” week, and she’s totally non-judgmental (because she’s been there).

I’ve also had a few workout sessions personally with Amy at the gym in San Diego (check out her insane handstand burpees), and I’ve attended her bootcamp classes in Portland and New York City and I can vouch that she is the real deal — she’s super motivating and kindly kicks your ass with a huge smile. :) She’s become a great friend of mine and I feel very grateful for that.

OK – man…enough out of me!!! Sheesh.

I got the chance to interview Amy and ask her some questions about her bootcamp! Let’s hear from her…

Jenny: How did you personally figure out that fitness was the best remedy for depression and anxiety?

Amy: By accident! I was diagnosed with clinical depression and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) in high school and had never found anything that relieved that emotional struggle. After getting to a really dark place and being hospitalized for threatening to take my own life, I realized I couldn’t keep living the way I had been. I committed to changing my life.

Along with starting therapy and concentrating on changing my negative habits, I began working out consistently for a completely unrelated reason–I wanted to lose weight. The more consistent I became, the more willing I became to use the new behavioral exercises I was working on with my therapist. I was better able to connect with the positive thoughts instead of being swept away with the negative, and all the internal work I was doing started actually working!

Years later when I started Strong Inside Out, I found that there’s a lot of scientific evidence that backs up the use of exercise for depression, stress and anxiety, and I’ve used that research to inform the programming for The Strong Inside Out Bootcamp.

Jenny: I know you have different bootcamp “tracks” that focus on depression, anxiety, stress, and general lack of motivation. What makes these workouts specific to each mindset?

Amy: Certain workouts have been shown to be more beneficial for certain mindsets than others, and on the other side of the spectrum, certain workouts have been shown to be detrimental to certain mindsets. The track for depression and lack of motivation gets entirely different workouts than the stress and anxiety track. I focused my workout programming on what would best ease the struggle for the particular track in question, while still giving bootcampers a rocking full-body workout.

Jenny: What can we expect as far as the workout schedule? Can we modify it based on our schedule?

Amy: The workout schedule totally varies by track and fitness level. Each track is divided into 3 different levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The foundation of all the schedules is at least 2 strength sessions per week and 1 cardio, but that’s only the base of the programming. The strength sessions and cardio workouts are wildly different per track and fitness level, and you’ll work up to more as you progress through the program.

Yes, you can modify it to your heart’s content! I wanted to strip the power from every and any excuse with this program. I put together a guide called The Key to Personalization to help you modify the schedule to yours and add or substitute your favorite classes into this program.

Jenny: What if I miss a workout — can I just pick up where I left off?

Amy: Yep! Again, this is the anti-overwhelm, no-shame, no-guilt, do-what-you-can-when-you-can workout program. We will encourage you to stick to the program and our coaches will be in the track-specific Facebook Groups every business day to encourage, support and answer all your questions as you go through it. If you miss a few days, just pick up where you left off and let go of the “shoulda-woulda-coulda’s.”

Jenny: I know many people struggle with staying consistent. What’s different about this program that will keep us going?

Amy: That was a huge thing for me creating this program. Having trained so many clients over the years, I knew that having a coach to stay accountable to was key, but a support system full of people going through similar struggles to yours would just knock this out of the park in terms of keeping members consistent.

There are too many programs out there that offer content, but no heart and soul. People need people. You can change on your own, yes, but how much easier would it be having someone who’s been through it guide your way and keep you accountable?

With the addition of personal one-on-one coaching to the bootcamp, it’s just helping members change their lives faster and feel more supported while they do it.

The Facebook Groups are extremely active with people sharing their wins and struggles every day, supporting their peers whenever they can and even meeting up in person! We work really hard to make this a safe space for everyone to feel welcome and supported, and we see how much it helps people to stick to their workout schedules even if they’re getting slammed by a bout of depression or hectic times at work.

We’ve also developed some online accountability tools that enable you to track your workouts in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you. By writing down what you have accomplished (instead of dwelling on missing a day), you boost confidence which breeds more action. And that’s what we’re all about.

And lastly, my favorite part of the program: group coaching calls! Everyone who attends gets to speak about their wins and struggles, and I get to coach them through shifting their perspective to the positive, and put them on a personal plan of action tailored to their goals and personality.

All said and done, this workout program takes the guess and check out of getting healthy, inside and out. Making like-minded friends, being able to share in a safe environment, going into your workouts knowing that they were tailored to your mindset and having a celebrity trainer as a coach throughout the whole process is what sets us apart. I really hope you’ll join us. I look forward to supporting you!

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